Answers to Help You Feel Confident & Informed

Late Cancellation

When you book an appointment with us, the practitioner reserves a significant amount of time especially for you. Therefore, we require 48 hours notice and the following cancellation policy is in place to allow us to offer the allocated time to another person who may be on a waiting list for that appointment. Our cancellation notice period is based on clear business hours when notification is received, therefore excludes weekends.

The full scheduled fee will be charged for cancellation with less than 48 business hours notice.

Cancellation Due to Illness/Unforeseen Circumstances

We understand that unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise and you may be unable to attend your appointment as a result. If this happens to you, please contact us during business hours as soon as possible to discuss the situation. 

If you are presenting with COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, Lotus Health and Psychology would prefer that you remain at home. If you find yourself in this situation, please contact our friendly administration team to transition to a Telehealth appointment or reschedule your in-person appointment.

For repeated cancellation within 48 business hours of the appointment due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, cancellation fees will apply.

Repeated Appointment Cancellation

When you book your appointments, you are holding a space on our clinician’s schedule that is no longer available to other patients. Please be respectful of our clinicians’ time and other patients by refraining from advance booking numerous appointments if you are not certain you will be able to attend said appointments.

For cancellation of 3 consecutive appointments, all future appointments will be cancelled and your treating clinician will be notified. It will be the responsibility of the patient to contact reception to rebook future appointments. Additionally, a cancellation fee will be applied, and to rebook, we will require a 100% deposit to be made. This deposit may be retained if future appointments are cancelled.

Please refer to each clinician’s individual fees as listed on their profile under the ‘Our Team’ tab.

Administration Fees

Additional administration fees may apply for cancellation of surrogacy and donor implications counselling after appointment bookings have been made. Please speak to our friendly administration team for more information.

Late payments may also incur an administration fee.

Payment is due at the conclusion of each appointment. If your appointment is in the clinic, the admin team will take payment in-person. If your appointment is via Telehealth, the LotusHP admin team will contact you via phone to take payment.

Overdue Accounts Policy

We understand that sometimes the unexpected happens and your payment is late. If this occurs, please advise our reception staff as soon as possible. Payments left unpaid a week after the date of your consultation are considered overdue.

Fees Associated with Late Payment

A $55 administration fee will be applied in addition to the cost of the overdue payment.

Restriction of Future Services

Lotus Health and Psychology will be in contact via phone or email to follow up on overdue payment.

If we are unable to contact you, we may restrict your future services. This will result in:

- additional administration fees being charged

- potential termination of services and referral to debt collection agency

Debt collection

If we do not receive a payment for the overdue account within our specified time frame, or multiple attempts to contact you are unsuccessful, we reserve the right to refer your account to our debt recovery service. Your access to Lotus Health and Psychology will be terminated and future appointments and care will cease. An administration fee is applied to the account.

Referral will make you liable for an administration fee of 25% of the outstanding account. You will need to contact Lotus Health and Psychology to make payment and avoid further action.

What can I expect from psychological treatment?

Psychological therapy utilises evidence-based treatment interventions that have been shown to provide good outcomes for clients for a variety of disorders. Each session will work towards specific goals collaboratively set out by you and your psychologist. This may involve providing you with information about your diagnosis or your symptoms, strategies to help you manage these symptoms or difficulties, and ways to reduce the frequency or severity of the symptoms.

How long is each therapy session?

Each session with your psychologist is 50 minutes; there may be exceptions to this, however that will be organised specifically with your psychologist depending on your needs.

What will happen in my first session with the psychologist?

The first session is an assessment session, meaning that your psychologist will spend the appointment working towards understanding what is currently going on for you, what has happened over time to lead to the current issues, and whether there are other factors involved in the development of your symptoms/ difficulties. If your psychologist gains enough information from you in this session, they will provide you with an idea of what the treatment plan will look like and get feedback from you as to whether that plan seem suitable for you.

What do I need to bring to my first session?

If you have a referral from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician, please bring this along to your session as it will be needed for Medicare rebate. You may also want to bring along any information relevant to your goals for therapy – it can help the process of assessment and therapy if you are already aware of your goals or if you already have an idea of how your difficulties may have developed. Please let your psychologist know from the start if you have information to give them so they have adequate time to go through it in session.

What if I don’t have a referral?

You are welcome to attend therapy sessions without a referral; anyone can attend psychology sessions without a referral from a GP or a specialist. However, without a referral you will need to pay the full fee as you will not get any Medicare rebate.

Can I claim a rebate for appointments with my psychologist?

For all fully registered psychologists, you will only be able to claim a Medicare or Private Health rebate for your appointment. If you have booked an appointment with our provisional psychologist, who are ineligible for a Medicare Provider Number, neither Medicare nor Private Health rebates can be claimed for services provided at the Clinic. As a result, Clinic fees are kept at affordable rates.

Medicare rebates

To be eligible to receive psychological services under Medicare, a relevant referral must be obtained from your General Practitioner or another medical specialist. Please contact your General Practitioner to discuss your eligibility for Medicare benefits and determine the best person to make your referral.

We are always happy to assist in processing Medicare claims, however we do not hold responsibility for eligibility or processing of Medicare rebates.

Please note that Medicare does not currently provide rebates for couples therapy, cognitive assessments, and some other specific situations. Please ask our administration team to clarify whether rebates are available.

Private Health Rebates

It is the responsibility of the client to determine if rebates apply to their specific service. Please ensure that you check your eligibility and the coverage provided by your private health fund by either contacting your private health fund directly, or bringing your physical private health fund card to our clinic for us to process a quote.

How many counselling sessions will I require?

Every person has a different journey through therapy. This is largely dependent on why they are coming in and what it is that they are hoping to get out of the process.

Some people come to see a psychologist to develop coping strategies to reduce or manage symptoms of mental illness. This type of work can be short to medium term, but might also involve checking in less frequently over the longer-term to deal with setbacks or prevent relapse.

Other people come to therapy to understand long-standing patterns (such as relationship issues) that stem from experiences during their childhood, or to receive ongoing support. This type of work tends to happen over an extended period of time, although again, this is dependent on client preferences.

Sometimes people come to therapy for a one off session or just a handful of sessions to speak about a specific issue in their life or to talk through a particular concern. Although problems and challenges are typically what bring people to a psychologist (at least initially), therapy can also be a space for self-development and growth.

How does confidentiality work with a psychologist?

All information that you disclose in your session with a psychologist is confidential. There are two exceptions to this rule. The first exception is if you are at risk of harm to yourself or someone else and the second exception is in relation to court orders. If either of these situations become relevant your psychologist will discuss this with you.

Yes, but we require the following for clinical recordkeeping requirements:

1. A letter giving your consent to release this information to the interested party

2. A letter from the relevant professional outlining what information they are after and its clinical relevance to your current presenting issues

3. You pay an administration fee before this information is released

With consideration to legislative exceptions and organisational requirements, we can release information to current and previous clients (excluding psychometric test scores). We require:

1. A letter indicating what information you are after

2. Whether you would like to review this information in person with the psychologist (so they can clarify any areas of concern and answer any questions), look over the records alone or whether you would like a paper copy.

3. You will need to give us 20 business days

4. You pay an administration fee before this information is released.

NB. If giving access would pose a serious threat to the life or health of someone the relevant information will not be released.

You will only be able to book an appointment online for a clinician that you have previously seen. The link to book appointments online will be emailed to you when we email a copy of your receipt

If you are a new client of Lotus Health and Psychology, or you have previously had an appointment with one clinician and are wanting to book an initial appointment with another clinician, you will need to contact Lotus Health and Psychology admin to book an initial appointment.

There is nothing wrong with switching therapists. Sometimes people may do this if they feel it is not a ‘good fit’. But before you do, first consider why you want to change therapists. Next, it is always best to chat to the therapist and let them know you are thinking about seeing someone else (sometimes chatting about the ‘elephant in the room’ strengthens rapport and you may find that you don’t need to change). Think about what worked and what did not work and what you are looking for. In collaboration with the therapist (or our admin team or director) we will transition you to another practitioner.

Of course, come back whenever you need!

It’s also a good idea to follow your relapse prevention plan (if you have one) to identify early warning signs, coping tools and when it might be a good idea to return to therapy. Just remember relapse or a recurrence of mental health difficulties is very common. You are not alone, there is no need to be embarrassed, and the sooner you get onto it, the faster we can get you back on the track to recovery.

Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist has an MD and their primary mode of treatment is pharmacological. Psychologists do not prescribe medication, but offer talk based therapies in conjunction with any pharmacological intervention offered by your psychiatrist or GP.

Counsellor

Counsellors can come from a broad range of training and backgrounds. Currently in Australia the term “counsellor” is not protected. This means that anyone can refer to themselves as a counsellor. Having said this many counsellors have undertaken training and education in educational settings, ranging from a Diploma up to a Masters degree. An organisation called the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) has also been set up to protect the standards and ethical training of the counselling profession.

All of our counsellors are ACA or PACFA members. Our Counsellors must have a Bachelors, Masters and/or Post-graduate Diploma.

Psychologist

Psychologists have a minimum of 6 years training including supervised clinical practice and must be registered with AHPRA. Psychologists can gain endorsements in Australia by furthering their study and qualification (e.g., to become a Clinical Psychologist).

Psychologists will have completed an undergraduate degree in the study of human behaviour, followed by a postgraduate degree and/or supervised experience in the field, before gaining full registration with the Queensland Registration Board. Psychologists do not have a medical degree, but will specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in their postgraduate qualifications. They assist people with various difficulties, ranging from "everyday" problems like stress and relationship concerns, through to more severe psychological difficulties such as Depression and Anxiety Disorders.

Rebates

• Counsellors can come from a broad range of training and backgrounds. Currently in Australia the term “counsellor” is not protected. This means that anyone can refer to themselves as a counsellor. Having said this many counsellors have undertaken training and education in educational settings, ranging from a Diploma up to a Masters degree. An organisation called the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) has also been set up to protect the standards and ethical training of the counselling profession.

Rebates

Rebates will vary depending upon the type of clinician that you have booked an appointment with. Please refer to the rebates as listed on our clinician’s individual profiles.

We do not offer walk-in appointments at Lotus Health and Psychology. We require that you book an appointment with our admin team prior to arriving at our clinic.

1. Commitment to Privacy

Lotus Health and Psychology is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal and health information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. Collection of Personal Information

We collect personal information that is necessary to provide psychological and related health services. This may include:

• Your name, date of birth, address, and contact details

• Emergency contact information

• Medicare or private health insurance details

• Referral information from your GP or other health professionals

• Relevant medical, psychological, and social history

• Session notes and treatment records

• Appointment and billing information

Personal information may be collected through intake forms, referrals, correspondence, and during consultations.

3. Use of Personal Information

Your personal information is used for purposes including:

• Providing psychological and related health services

• Assessing and supporting your treatment and care

• Managing appointments and communications

• Processing billing, Medicare claims, and other administrative requirements

• Maintaining clinical records as required by professional and legal obligations

4. Storage and Security of Information

Your personal information may be stored electronically in secure practice management systems and/or in secure physical files.

Lotus Health and Psychology take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. This includes secure digital systems, restricted access to records, and appropriate administrative safeguards.

5. Use of Automated Note-Taking Tools

To support better focus on your care during sessions, clinicians at Lotus Health and Psychology may use an automated tool that assists with clinical notetaking.

Our clinicians may use either the NovoNote or Heidi platform. These platforms are designed to support compliance with AHPRA and HIPAA privacy standards and follow industry-standard encryption and security protocols. The tools operate on secure servers located in Australia, and information processed through these tools is not used to train artificial intelligence models.

With your consent, these platforms may temporarily process session audio for the purpose of generating clinical notes. The audio is processed securely and is not used to train artificial intelligence systems. Any notes generated are reviewed and edited by the clinician before being saved to your clinical record.

You may choose not to have automated notetaking used during your session.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

Your personal information will generally remain confidential. However, information may be disclosed where necessary or required, including:

• With your consent

• To other healthcare providers involved in your care (e.g., referring GP or specialists)

• For administrative purposes such as Medicare or health insurance claims

• Where required or authorised by law

• Where there is a serious and imminent risk to your health or safety, or the safety of another person

• Where required by a court or other legal authority

7. Retention of Health Records

Health records are retained for the minimum period required by law. In most cases this means:

• At least seven years from the date of your last appointment

• For children, records are generally retained until the individual reaches 25 years of age

• After this period, records may be securely destroyed in accordance with legal and professional guidelines.

8. Access and Correction of Personal Information

You may request access to your personal information or request corrections if you believe the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

Requests for access or correction should be made directly to Lotus Health and Psychology. We will respond to requests within a reasonable timeframe and may charge a reasonable administrative fee where permitted by law.

9. Privacy Concerns and Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact Lotus Health and Psychology at admin@lotushp.com.au or 07 3132 8584 so we can attempt to resolve the matter promptly and confidentially.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au

You may also have the right to make a complaint to The Office of the health Ombudsman (OHO) if your concern relates to health service provision OHO online

10. Updates to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or clinic practices. The most current version will be made available through our clinic or website.